


Neutral Zone

by MangaFreak15



Category: Tokyo Ghoul, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), BAMF Midoriya Izuku, Blood and Gore, CCG Aizawa, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, M/M, Politician Yagi, Sensei | All For One is Midoriya Hisashi, TG canon typical, can't have a tokyo ghoul au without a coffee shop, izuku is a ghoul, married erasermic, surprise ghouls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25908037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MangaFreak15/pseuds/MangaFreak15
Summary: There is Deku, the rumored boogeyman of Musutafu.There is Midoriya Izuku, a full kakuja from the Kamino Ward who vanished after the raid five years ago.And now, there is Mido Izuchi, a humble cafe owner who spends his days brewing coffee and baking sweets for his customers.(No one would think that they're the same person.)Here's a BNHA/TG au because I couldn't stop myself.
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead & Midoriya Izuku, Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Midoriya Izuku & Shinsou Hitoshi
Comments: 53
Kudos: 393





	1. The Green Haven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh this probably won't be a big story. If I finish it at all (considering all the other stories I haven't finished yet eheh).
> 
> No knowledge of TG is necessary except some key terms:
> 
> quinque - CCG investigator's weapon, forged from a ghoul's kagune  
> kagune - a ghoul's extra organ that functions as a weapon  
> CCG - Commission of Counter Ghoul  
> Doves - an insulting term for ghoul investigators  
> kakuja - a ghoul that has gained immense power through cannibalism (partial kakujas are prone to insanity)
> 
> Enjoy. Hope everyone's still staying safe out there.

It's sheer coincidence that Shouta is the one who finds the cafe first. He's just finished with a grueling night patrol and doesn't have quite enough energy to stagger home, but he also knows that no investigator should stay outside in the wee hours of morning for long by themselves. That's just asking for trouble. He leans against the nearest wall for a moment to catch his breath, idly noting that this establishment has its lights on despite the early hour. A cafe?

The glass door next to him opens with the soft twinkle of a bell and a young man pokes his head out.

"Good morning, sir. You look like you've certainly had a rough night. Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee? On the house, of course," he says.

Shouta gazes at the young man suspiciously, looking over his fluffy green hair and freckles and big, green doe eyes that stare at him beseechingly, a small smile curling the corners of his lips.

It's four in the morning and that should honestly be too early for _any_ shop to be open, but if he's offering free coffee, why not.

"Sure, kid," he grunts, pushing himself off the wall and attempting to appear steady despite the aches shaking in his muscles, exhaustion buzzing beneath his skin. He clutches the silver quinque case in his hand tightly.

The young man beams and holds the door open for him. "Right this way, sir. Have a seat wherever you like."

The cafe interior is tastefully decorated, and rather homely, if he's being honest. The walls are made of natural wood, as is the floor. The seating area has several round wooden tables scattered throughout, with three chairs each. The counter is a beautifully polished gray marble with a single cash register beside a display case full of delicious-looking pastries. The menu is handwritten in colorful chalk pen and spans three panels, one for hot coffee, one for iced coffee, and the third for specialty drinks.

Shouta can't decide what he wants. The young man chuckles and offers a suggestion, "It's your first time here, I suppose. If you don't know what to get, I'd suggest the Moonbuster blend if you like your coffee lighter or the Seven Dragons blend if you want something with a real kick to it."

"Seven Dragons," Shouta responds immediately. After the night he just had, he _needs_ something strong.

The young man laughs. "Seven Dragons it is! By the way, I forgot to introduce myself, that was quite rude of me. I'm Mido Izuchi, the owner of this cafe, the _Green Haven."_

Shouta's eyebrows shoot up behind his bangs. Mido looks young enough to barely be out of his teens and he's already a business owner? Kid must have a good head on his shoulders, then. "Aizawa. I have to say, you look a little young to be the owner."

Mido laughs again as he walks around the counter to start brewing Shouta's coffee. "I get that a lot. I know I've got a baby face," he admits, plucking a jar of beans off one shelf. He measures out an amount with a spoon and dumps the beans into the coffee grinder, repeating once. The machine must still be new, it makes a pleasant hum as it grinds the beans into powder and pours it into the metal container placed below the chute. Mido sets up the pour over coffee station as that’s going, and as soon as he begins the process of pouring the water over the ground coffee, Shouta can smell the rich aroma of the brew fill the air. It’s a strong, heady smell, pairing roasted coffee beans with something spicy. Shouta can feel his mouth watering in anticipation.

In no time at all, Mido is serving him the coffee in a plain white cup on a saucer. “Do you want any cream and sugar to go with it?” he asks.

“No need,” Shouta just manages to get out before he grabs the cup and takes a sip. The coffee is still very hot and burns his tongue, but the intense spicy and bitter flavor that spreads through his mouth, with a hint of nutty sweetness right at the end, is almost enough to make Shouta want to get on the floor and bow to his new coffee god on his hands and knees.

Because this is the best cup of coffee he’s ever had. _Period._

“Good, isn’t it?” the green-haired cafe owner comments with a knowing smile.

Shouta doesn’t deign to reply with words. He takes another sip and almost groans out loud. He can feel his low energy reserves start to fill back up as the caffeine kicks him. He’ll have to take Hizashi here sometime, god knows his husband loves coffee as much as he does (even if it’s on the sweeter side than Shouta likes his).

He blinks as a plate slides in front of him, a warm, buttery croissant with slices of ham and swiss cheese sandwiched inside taunting him from the plate.

“Eat up. The food will help make sure you don’t get a stomach ache afterwards. Also on the house, for a first-time guest.” Mido smiles.

The croissant sandwich is every bit as good as the coffee and Shouta knows he’s ruined for all other coffee shops. He’ll never be able to stand the shitty breakroom sludge in the CCG building ever again (it was already at the line of _intolerable_ before, but now he knows what true artisan coffee tastes like and he can’t ever go back).

“Thank you,” is all he can say, devouring the sandwich and the coffee in just a few minutes. He mournfully gazes into his empty cup. “Do you make the pastries here, too?”

“That’s right! I make everything here, food and drinks!” Mido responds cheerily, taking the plate and the cup away to wash. “You may be wondering how I manage all of that myself, but truth be told, I actually only work the morning shifts. My mom helps out in the afternoon, and two of my friends take turns with the evening shifts.”

“You and your staff work every day?” Even Shouta and his husband don’t work every day of the week, and they’re both high-ranked investigators.

The young man chuckles and waves a hand. “Oh, no, that would be too much. We close on Sundays to give everyone a chance to take a break,” he explains. “Excuse me while I take these to the back. You’re free to leave or stick around if you want.” He disappears behind the ‘Employees Only’ door leading to the kitchen in the back.

Shouta takes another glance at the display case full of delectable sweet treats and thinks about buying some to take home to his husband. An apology gift, of sorts, for being out so late this time. In their line of work, both of them know not to call the other during their shifts lest they get distracted or alert a ghoul too early. But while Hizashi typically works during the day, Shouta usually works at night, so their schedules don’t match up and, with Shouta being a First Class Investigator and Hizashi a Rank 1 Investigator, neither of them have much free time. But today, they both have the day off for once. And Shouta intends to make the most of it.

He sees Mido come back out and smile when he sees Shouta is still there. “Do you want to get something else?” he asks.

“Yes.” Shouta picks out several pastries from the display, which Mido wraps up in a pretty little box stamped with the cafe’s logo (the cafe’s name atop a star, with a large tree growing over it, encircled by a ring). He puts it in a bag and hands it over with the same bright smile that Shouta’s been seeing through his whole visit.

“Enjoy! I hope to see you here again, Aizawa-san.” Oh, Shouta will most definitely be frequenting the little cafe now that he knows what a godsend this young cafe owner is.

He checks his watch and the time now reads closer to five. By the time he gets back to their apartment, Hizashi will probably still be asleep. He absently steps to the side as the bell over the door chimes and another customer comes in, yawning. He hears Mido greet the customer with his sunshine-and-rainbows personality. The young man probably greets all of his customers that way, what amazing service. Shouta wonders what the other staff members are like.

Just as he steps out of the door, he thinks he hears a faint “goodbye, investigator” and casually turns his head to check. But Mido is firmly engaged with his customer, enthusiastically gesturing to the pastry case, and then to one of the menu boards. Shouta shakes his head and leaves. He was probably imagining things.

* * *

Hizashi opens his eyes when the bed dips next to him and his husband kisses him on the forehead. “Mm… wha’ time ‘sit?” he grumbles, groping blindly for Shouta’s hand.

“Too early for you to be awake,” Shouta says cheekily. “I’ll be right back, I need to take a shower.”

“‘Kay,” Hizashi mumbles into his pillow, and he falls back asleep almost instantly.

The next time he wakes up, Shouta is peacefully sleeping beside him, and the clock on their bedside table reads eight o'clock. He slips out of the bed as quietly as he can, knowing that his husband had a long night and needs as much rest as he can get. He goes through his daily morning routine, sans the hair, which he forgoes putting gel in and just ties up into a simple ponytail.

When Hizashi walks into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, he's taken aback by the box sitting on the dining table. Curious, he examines it and finds a hastily scribbled note from Shouta reading: _I got these from my new favorite cafe. Help yourself. —Shouta_

Hizashi looks at the logo (the Green Haven? He's never heard of it before, maybe it's new), then opens the box. A delectable array of pastries greets him. They look so good that Hizashi almost doesn’t want to eat them, but that would be such a waste. He picks up one of the donut holes rolled in cinnamon and sugar and pops the whole thing into his mouth.

It literally _melts_ against his tongue, sweet with a hint of spice. Hizashi can’t help eating another one as soon as he’s swallowed the first, then the third, and fourth, until he’s eaten all six of the donut holes in the box. He looks back at the bedroom door guiltily. Well, Shouta isn’t much of a sweets fan anyway, he probably won’t mind. Besides, his note had said to help himself…

…he’s going to gain so much weight at this rate, isn’t he?

* * *

In the year of 21XX, Neutral Zones were established by a progressive politician and former CCG agent by the name of Yagi Toshinori, a cooperative effort with both the CCG and a wealthy ghoul family in order to reduce the number of casualties suffered from both sides during unnecessarily violent conflicts. Neutral Zones are exactly what they sound like: establishments that are considered neutral grounds and open to everyone whether they be ghoul or human. The owner must have their official NZ license publicly displayed in order for their business to be considered legal. The CCG is still allowed to conduct raids on suspected ghoul hideouts if they aren’t NZs, but for the most part, the ghoul crime rate and attacks on humans went down considerably (by as much as sixty percent in areas where the NZs are ghoul-owned and the owners have a way to supply meals to hungry ghouls that don’t involve attacking humans).

The Musutafu Ward is one such area that has seen the ghoul attacks dramatically reduce. Though there are only two NZs in the ward—Izuku’s Green Haven and the Yaoyorozu Special Research Facility (YSRF for short)—the reason why Musutafu has a lower crime rate than other wards is actually _not_ due to the establishment of those NZs, as the CCG has been led to believe. No, rather, the reason that Musutafu has seen less ghoul attacks is because the ward has been claimed as the territory of a notorious SS-rated ghoul, codenamed _Deku._ No one knows who he actually is or what he looks like beneath the mask, but if you intrude on his territory with the intent to harm, he will kick your ass the first time, and if you come back with the same intentions, then he will slaughter you.

There is Deku, the rumored boogeyman of Musutafu.

There is Midoriya Izuku, a full kakuja originally from the Kamino Ward (the worst and most violent ward of them all), who vanished after a raid five years ago that culminated in the death of the SSS-rated ghoul simply known as _Sensei_ and Yagi’s retirement from the CCG to become a politician. Midoriya, codenamed the _Black Rabbit,_ was never found.

And now, there is Mido Izuchi, a humble cafe owner who spends his days brewing coffee and baking sweets for his customers to enjoy.

(No one would guess that they’re all the same person.)

* * *

Izuku loves his cafe. Every ghoul that visits knows the one and only rule that they must abide by while in the coffee shop: do not pick a fight with _anyone,_ including investigators from the CCG. The Green Haven is a legally-registered Neutral Zone, meaning that the cafe is considered safe territory for both ghouls and humans alike. The front side, the public side of his business serves delicious coffee and fresh-baked treats. The back side, the secret side (known only to ghouls) is that he prepared packages of fresh meat for consumption, using both his connection to various prisons around the country (taking only prisoners on death row) and his own free time to find suicide victims. The packages are free of charge on the condition that those who come to him for food must not hunt down humans. Those who break the rules earn a severe beatdown and possibly death.

However, the two most prominent anti-CCG groups are beginning to move, which threatens the peace of the Musutafu Ward where Izuku lives. And he's not about that, not after working so hard to secure his own territory. If the remnants of the League of Ghouls or the aggressively-hostile Shie Hassaikai dare to set foot in Musutafu, he will do whatever it takes to drive them out.

He hasn't earned his SS-rating for nothing, after all.

When the cafe is closed for the night, he picks up his phone and makes a call.

"Hello, Hitoshi. I was wondering if you could do me a favor…"

* * *

Shouta goes back to the cafe three days later, this time dragging Hizashi with him during his lunch break. Hizashi's CCG partner, Iida Tensei, invites himself along after hearing Shouta praise the shop's quality of coffee despite having it exactly once.

"Hearing _you_ sing praises about anything is like hearing angels descending from the heavens," he jokes. Shouta punches him in the shoulder for that.

Mido is there again, fixing three cups of coffee at once behind the counter. He looks up when the bell over the door jingles. "Oh, hello again! You brought your friends this time?" he asks, beaming.

Hizashi grins back at him. "I hear you're the one who makes everything here? My good sir, you earned me as a loyal customer the moment I tasted one of those amazing donut holes," he purrs.

"Glad to hear it!" The green-haired man turns to one of the pour-overs and lifts the filter out. He puts the cup on a saucer and goes to deliver it to a surly blonde jammed into one of the corner booths along with a red-haired man, a punk with a lightning bolt dyed into his hair, and a lady who had a wild mass of hair dyed an eye-watering shade of magenta.

"Took you long enough," the blonde complains, snatching the cup from Mido in such a manner that makes Shouta's metaphorical hackles instinctively raise.

The red-haired man bumps his shoulder and says, "Be polite, Katsuki. Say thank you to the nice barista."

"…Your coffee isn't shit, I guess," the angry blonde grumbles behind the cup. Mido laughs at that, so Shouta guesses that's about as much of a compliment as the delinquent is willing to give. He turns back to his husband and their friend, both of whom are already perusing the pastry display.

Mido casually walks behind the counter and stands nearby, ready to take their orders. "Everything looks so good, I can't decide," Hizashi groans.

Tensei hums, then points at a slice of cake. "I'll try your weekly special, the Velvet Cloud Cake."

"Great choice, sir," the freckled man agrees, sliding a piece onto a plate. "Anything else?"

"Coffee and a chicken sandwich," Shouta says.

"Seven Dragons again or do you want to try something else?"

"I'll take your House Blend this time."

"Got it." Mido rings up their orders, then looks over at Hizashi, who is still hemming and hawing over the pastries. "And for you, sir?"

“What’s that Seven Dragons blend you mentioned?” he asks curiously.

Shouta interrupts before Mido can launch into a descriptive explanation, “Don’t give him that, give him something sweeter.” Hizashi shoots him a raised eyebrow, but doesn’t argue. They’ve been together long enough that they know each other’s drink preferences by heart.

“Hm, well, why not try the Valentina Roast then? It’s a lighter roast than Seven Dragons and has notes of brown sugar and caramel to it,” Mido suggests instead, not at all offended about being cut off. “It tastes great with the coffee cake.”

“You’re the expert here, sounds good to me,” Hizashi says warmly.

“Alright!” Mido rings up their purchase, then he turns around and finishes the other two cups of coffee while Shouta pays. They take a seat at an empty table with both Tensei and Hizashi digging into their food as soon as they sit down.

Tensei’s eyes light up when he takes the first bite and he all but shovels the rest of his cake into his mouth as fast as he can, cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk’s. Shouta snorts when he almost chokes from eating too fast and Hizashi has to reach over to thump him on the back.

“Hey, hey, slow down, that cake isn’t going anywhere, you know!” the exuberant blonde laughs, polishing off his own coffee cake with record speed.

Tensei swallows mightily, then exhales. “Whew! I couldn’t help myself, this cake is really good.” He slides his plate forward, two bites of the sweet treat left. “Here, you guys should try it too. I know you don’t like sweets, Shouta, but for the love of god, _try this goddamn cake.”_

“Don’t mind if I do!” Hizashi sings, swiping a piece and pushing the plate towards his husband.

Shouta stares down the offensive fluffy cake taunting him from the plate, then reluctantly eats it. It’s… well…

Fuck, he can’t even think of the words to describe it. It’s just that good.

“Not bad,” he says instead. “A bit too light for me, though.”

“I think you mean it’s _the best,”_ Tensei insists. He eyes the pastry case speculatively. “I almost want another slice.”

Mido startles them by popping up out of nowhere with their two cups of coffee and Shouta’s freshly-heated chicken sandwich. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. You really like this week’s specialty, huh?” he remarks, smiling widely. The smile pushes up his cheeks and exposes the faint freckles dotting his face, making him look even younger than the first time Shouta saw him.

Shouta’s husband abruptly stands up, pushing his chair back. He takes one of Mido’s hands and looks at him with starstruck eyes (Shouta feels the slightest twinge of jealousy at that, which he ruthlessly shoves down because he and Hizashi have been together for almost eighteen years, he’s much too old to be feeling like a jealous teenager). “Mido-san, please marry me.”

The green-haired cafe owner chuckles, gently pulling his hand away. “Propositioning me in front of your own husband? How scandalous.”

All three of them blink at him. “You know we’re married?” Hizashi questions.

“Yes? You and Aizawa-san are wearing matching rings, aren’t you?”

Their wedding rings are strung on a thin silver chain around each of their necks, hidden underneath the CCG uniform. No normal person could have seen it. Neither of them advertise their relationship status, either. They stare at the young man with raised brows, and he stares back at them with polite confusion.

“Mido-san, are you—” Tensei begins to ask, but then Mido is called away by a group of customers at the register before he can finish.

_Are you a ghoul?_

All three of them surreptitiously glance around the cafe for a Neutral Zone license, because none of them want to have to investigate or possibly raid this place for ghoul activity. Shouta is the one who spots it first, posted directly on the window next to the door. He hadn’t seen it the first time because it had been dark outside and he’d been exhausted, but now that he knows it’s there, it’s glaringly obvious.

“It’s safe,” he says, getting Hizashi’s and Tensei’s attention. He takes a sip of his coffee and bites into the toasted sandwich. It’s warm and the smoky flavor of grilled chicken paired with caramelized onions, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, sweet bistro aioli, and chewy ciabatta bread washes over his tongue. Damn, ghoul or not, Mido can make a _mean_ chicken sandwich.

Hizashi adds a touch of cream and sugar to his own cup before he tastes it. He closes his eyes to savor it. “This is… really good coffee. I don’t think I’ve had a better cup than this,” he admits, honestly surprised.

"Trust Shouta's taste in coffee to be impeccable," Tensei comments with a smile.

"I wouldn't say that, he did tolerate our breakroom slop for years," Hizashi laughs, reaching over to steal a bite of Shouta's sandwich. "Wow, does everything here taste like it was made by a culinary god?"

"Get your own sandwich," Shouta scoffs, curling protectively over his plate.

"What's yours is also mine, dear husband."

* * *

Izuku knocks on the unassuming gray door in front of him. It only takes a handful of seconds before it swings open and the apartment’s occupant gestures for him to come inside. The door shuts with a soft click that’s barely audible even to their enhanced hearing.

“Is it done?” he asks.

Hitoshi yawns behind his hand and grabs something off of his workbench. He dangles the metal mask from one finger, the surface smooth and gleaming under white lights. “It’s done. Try not to break it. I won’t make you another one if you do,” he grumbles.

The green-haired man takes the mask reverently. It’s more of a mouth guard than a full-blown mask, but it’ll be enough to hide his tell-tale freckles from any prying eyes. There are two thin slits on each side to allow him to breathe, as well as a small strip of mesh over the bridge of the nose. Two elastic ear loops made of reinforced carbon fiber and dyed bright red hang from either side of the mask, both with an attached flower charm and short tassels dangling behind the ends that would go around his ears.

Izuku puts it on to make sure it fits comfortably, then strides over to the mirror Hitoshi has set up in the corner of the room. He turns this way and that, admiring the craftsmanship.

“Perfect as usual, Hitoshi,” he says, taking it off. “How much for this one?”

The purple-haired ghoul waves a hand dismissively, slouching against the workbench. “Free, as long as you promise to take care of those rat bastards from the League. Heard they were looking into coming here and taking over our place.”

Izuku barks out a laugh, twirling his new mask by one of the earloops. “Heard that from Hagakure, did you? Well, I was planning on eliminating them anyway. The Shie Hassaikai too, if they dare try anything.”

Hitoshi’s brow furrows just slightly. “You can’t fight both of them at the same time, SS-rated or not,” he says. “I heard the new bosses of both organizations are the same threat level as you.”

“I never said I’d take them on alone,” Izuku counters, smiling. “You know how I opened up a Neutral Zone cafe? Well, I’m thinking that I _could_ anonymously tip off one of the investigators that come by frequently…”

“Are you crazy?” Hitoshi hisses, straightening out of his slouch and giving Izuku his best death glare, both eyes turning red in an instant. “You want to work with a _Dove?”_

“Not just any investigator, mind you. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while. Trust me, he’s not the corrupt sort.” Izuku walks back over to the door. He puts a hand on the knob, but before he exits, he looks back at his friend. “Come by for a cup sometime, Hitoshi. It’ll be on me, okay?”

And he walks out into the night, the mask safely tucked inside his bag.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment before you go~


	2. Game Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TG terms:
> 
> ukaku/bikaku - 2 of the 4 classifications of ghoul kagune types (ukaku = speedy, koukaku = sturdy, rinkaku = flexible, bikaku = balanced).  
> kakugan - ghoul eyes (black sclera, red iris)
> 
> Slightly shorter chapter, oh well. I'm happy with the response this story has gotten so far, thank you!

Humans should know better than to go out at night, which is the time of day that ghouls are most active. 'Should' being the key term.

_ And yet, _ Izuku sighs from his position crouched atop a roof, watching five young wannabe gangsters surround a ghoul pretending to be a poor, crippled, elderly man,  _ here we are. _

"Wh-what do you want from me?" Admittedly, the ghoul plays the feeble old man act well, stuttery voice and all.

The leader of the gang steps forward, cracking his knuckles in what he thinks is an intimidating way. "Give us all your money and no one will get hurt," he demands with a smirk. The other delinquents jeer and laugh derisively as the man cowers against the alley wall.

"M-money? If it's my wallet you want, h-here," says the elderly man, making a showing of digging through his pockets. He produces a plain brown wallet, which he offers up with shaky hands.

Oh boy, this is going to be  _ messy. _

Just as the greedy gang leader reaches out to snatch the wallet away, the old man's eyes flash black and red. Two seconds later, the leader is ripped to unidentifiable shreds, painting the walls and ground of the alley a deep red that looks black in the night. Organs, entrails, bones, and chunks of flesh decorate various surfaces, creating a macabre scene like out of a cheap horror film.

The other gang members scream at the sight of the red kagune waving to and fro behind the old man and turn tail to run. They don't get very far before they're all met with the same fate.

The old man cackles in glee as he is bathed in the blood of his victims. The disguise ripples once, then  _ melts _ off the ghoul, revealing the face of a psychotic young girl who looks no older than seventeen. She licks the blood off of her hands with a high-pitched moan, eyes rolling to the back of her head in sick pleasure. Her razor-sharp kagune flickers just above her shoulders.

This is Toga Himiko, the Impersonator.

And with her appearance, Izuku finally knows that the League has made its move.

_ Game start. _

He makes sure his new mask is securely fastened to his face, his hooded black coat shrouding most of his features in darkness, and then silently leaps down to confront her. Violent ghouls who seek to disturb the peace of Musutafu under his watch will  _ not  _ be tolerated.

Toga spins around as she munches on a handful of viscera, launching a rapid barrage of dagger-like kagune shards at him as he touches down in the alley. Izuku deflects them easily without even using his own kagune.

“Leave. You are not welcome here, Impersonator,” he demands, pitching his voice lower than usual so as not to get traced back to his civilian persona.

Toga stares at him with maniacal glee. “Ooh~ you must be Deku. I’ve heard  _ so _ much about you from dear Tomura-kun,” she squeals, completely ignoring what he had just said. The fresh blood around her mouth stands out from her extremely pale skin, which is even more offset by the red and black eyes that ghouls are known for. She takes a step forward, her kagune at the ready. “Why don’t you play with me, Deku-kun?”

Looks like he won’t be getting out of this one without a fight. Izuku’s own kagune unfurls from beneath his coat, two large tail-like appendages with three claws at the end. A bikaku—at least, at first glance.

(Midoriya Izuku is known for having an unusually powerful rinkaku kagune, which was taken a step further by his evolution as a kakuja. Deku, however, uses a bikaku in order to enforce the idea that he is not the Black Rabbit and should be treated as a completely separate entity. A simple distraction tactic, but one that works surprisingly well.)

Now why on Earth would he confront Toga, an  _ ukaku _ user who has the type advantage over the bikaku user that Deku supposedly is?

Toga seems a mite bit confused about this as well, but if anything, her bloodthirsty grin grows even wider. She licks her lips, smearing the blood around the corners of her mouth.

"Ready or not, here I come!" she sings, darting forward with enviable speed. She feints to the right and backsteps to give herself enough distance to shower Izuku with crystal shards. They are so sharp that they easily embed into the brick walls of the alley like the walls are made of butter. Stray debris falls on the ground as the walls crack with the force of the attack.

(It’s simple: he's stronger than her.)

One clawed appendage swings down and smacks one of the walls, loosening a few of the kagune shards. The other tail coils around Izuku acting as the defense against attacks directed at his person. Izuku uses his first tail to pick up the shards and throw them back, forcing Toga to dance away with a laugh.

His other tail lashes out at the exact moment her feet leave the concrete to dodge. Only the girl's quick reflexes save her from being disemboweled from Izuku's deadly claws.

She pouts as she fingers her torn and bloody sweater. "Aw, you ruined my clothes," she sighs mournfully. "I don't look cute at all like this."

"Leave." Izuku's eyes shine as red as the blood that has been spilled tonight. "I won't say it again."

"Fiiiine," Toga sniffs. She leers at Izuku as she turns on her heel to walk away. "Let's play again, Deku-kun." With that, she vanishes into the shadows.

Izuku smells the investigators closing in on the gruesome scene and returns to his position on the roof to check who they are.

"...Shit. We're too late," says the shorter blond one, crouching down to examine the kagune marks left by Toga's crystal shards.

The taller red-haired one glances around, a seemingly casual motion. But for a single moment, his electric-blue eyes lock onto Izuku's position.

"Heads up, we've got company," he says, one eye manifesting a kakugan.

Whoops, time to get the hell out of here. Izuku isn't too keen on sticking around to fight two powerful, synthetic, one-eyed ghouls on the CCG's payroll, SS-rated or not. Especially when one is the eldest son of the notorious Ghoul Executioner, a man every bit as brutal as the stories claim.

(Some days Izuku still wonders why the first son of the Executioner would volunteer himself for the Synthetic Ghoul Program when his father is so adamantly against them.)

* * *

"Did you hear about the attack last night? It wasn't a pretty sight to clean up," Tensei says, grimacing down at the closed folder laying on his desk.

"I'm aware," Shouta replies tersely. The average sites of ghoul attacks tended to be grisly scenes on their own because of how thoroughly the people were dismembered and devoured, but this one was especially violent. The reports had said that there were two different kagune marks in the alley, which points to a fight between two ghouls (over a meal?) that the victims were unfortunately caught up in. The humans had been ripped into so many pieces that even forensics is having trouble identifying them.

There is also a small detail in the report submitted by the two Synthetic Ghoul investigators who had been the first ones on the scene—apparently one of the ghouls had stuck around to observe them, but had quickly fled upon being noticed. Rank 1 Investigator Todoroki had chosen not to give chase in order to focus on calling people in to cordon off and examine the scene of crime.

The brief description of the ghoul isn’t any help in identifying them either: average height, clad in a black coat, with a metal mouth guard obscuring the lower half of its face from view. The hood and mask are enough to even cover up the ghoul’s gender, so they don’t even know if the ghoul is male or female. The only real identifying feature is their kagune, which, from the brief glimpse that the two investigators caught, had to be a  _ bikaku _ user because it had taken the form of two tails.

Shouta rubs wearily at his dry eyes. Them just sitting here trying to analyze a small folder of reports isn’t doing anything but making them more frustrated.

“I’m getting coffee,” he mutters, standing up. The uncomfortable office chair screeches unpleasantly against the white vinyl flooring, making everyone in the room wince.

“Oh, are you going to the cafe? Mind if I come with?” Tensei asks, getting to his feet more carefully. He stretches, cracking his neck with a loud pop and a relieved groan.

Shouta shrugs, “Suit yourself.”

* * *

“Welcome to the Green Haven! What can I get for you today?”

Surprisingly Mido isn’t at the cafe when Shouta and Tensei stroll in. Instead, a slightly plump older woman with the same green hair and eyes as the cafe owner cheerfully greets them at the register. This lady must be the mother that Mido mentioned on Shouta’s first time here. Her name tag reads ‘Mido N.’

“Good morning,” Tensei says politely, smiling. “Where is the other Mido-san today?”

The woman blinks in confusion, then responds, “Ah, if you mean my son, Izuchi had an errand to run today. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Good to know. Then I’ll get a lox bagel with cream cheese and a hot latte, plain with no sugar and an extra shot of espresso. And whatever this guy wants.” Tensei moves out of the way to let Shouta order.

“You didn’t have to do that, but thanks,” Shouta mutters, shuffling forward. He orders the same thing as last time, the House Blend and a chicken sandwich. After Tensei pays, they find a quiet corner to sit.

A small bookshelf has been added to the back wall since last time. The books are neatly arranged by author, with a whole section dedicated to the mysterious 'Shishin Hisouto,' a writer known for his engaging psychological thrillers. The two tables that used to be in this spot have been replaced by several beanbag chairs, situated around two long coffee tables. It looks very cozy.

Their order comes out quickly and the two men waste no time devouring it. Shouta turns the scant clues they have over in his head again, but he's no closer to a breakthrough than he was a half hour ago. He'll have to go to the site himself to see if he can figure something out. He knows it's already been cleaned up, but the general area is still cordoned off until further notice.

Tensei pokes him between his eyebrows to get his attention. "Stop frowning so hard, you'll get wrinkles," he says lightly. "We're going to get to the bottom of this for sure, but no need to think yourself into an early grave."

Shouta polishes off his coffee with a grunt.

He hopes that this case will resolve itself soon.

Admittedly, with his belly full of good food and coffee, the brisk morning air helps to clear his head a bit on the walk back to the station. He runs through the sparse details of the case in his head again, thinking.

Two ghouls.

Two sets of kagune marks, one  _ ukaku _ and one  _ bikaku. _

There was an unknown group of humans who met an unfortunate end.

The two ghouls definitely had been fighting each other, judging by the state of the alley.

Rank 1 Investigators Todoroki and Takami arrived at the scene after the ukaku user left.

The bikaku user fled after being noticed.

_ What am I missing? _ Shouta frowns. There’s something niggling at him from the back of his mind, but he can’t quite put a finger on it. Something…

But the train of thought is lost when they re-enter the CCG building and come back to  _ chaos. _ The noise level is unreal—people are rushing this way and that, investigators barking out orders, harried staff members weaving through the crowd with tall stacks of documents, others being ushered off to the meeting room upstairs.

Shouta and Tensei exchange grim looks. Something big must have happened while they were on break.

“There you are!” Shouta’s former CCG partner from way back when, Kayama Nemuri, makes a mad dash for them from the hallway that leads off to the Investigation Unit’s offices. “Come with me now! Special Class Investigator Nedzu is about to make an important announcement. It’s bad news, guys!”

If even  _ Nedzu _ is involved, whatever he’s about to announce doesn’t bode well for the CCG.

They enter the auditorium, which is only used for emergency meetings involving all of the CCG. Most of the investigators are already seated, both junior and senior ranks sitting together. Nemuri leads them over to a set of empty seats next to Hizashi.

Shouta takes the chair beside his husband and gives him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Hizashi smiles and grabs his hand so they can lace their fingers together.

Just a few minutes later, Special Class Investigator Nedzu strolls out from backstage and hits a small handheld gong to get everyone’s attention. He clears his throat, fiddling with the microphone attached to his formal suit. “Testing, testing… can you hear me?” he says. A vague murmur of confirmation sweeps through the crowd. “Excellent. Well, I know I’ve got a tendency to be long-winded, but I’ll try to keep this meeting as succinct as possible. Before I start though, I would like to introduce you to our esteemed guest!” He beckons to the wings, where an extremely tall, somewhat emaciated man steps out.

Shouta’s eyes widen when he realizes who the person is. “Oh my  _ god, _ that’s Yagi Toshinori!” Hizashi near-shrieks next to him.

Nedzu continues on, “As you all probably know, Yagi-san here is a politician who is responsible for establishing the concept of Neutral Zones. He is also a former CCG agent who retired after the raid on the hideout of the SSS-rated ghoul known as Sensei. Which brings me back to the news that I have to share with you all today—our Investigation Unit has been working tirelessly to analyze the scene of last night’s latest tragedy, which was initially discovered by Rank 1 Investigators Todoroki and Takami. What they found is deeply concerning, and is the reason why I have invited Yagi-san to come and speak with you about his experiences. Earlier this morning, the Investigation Unit was able to ID one of the kagune marks left behind at the scene of the crime as belonging to an S-rated ghoul from the Kamino Ward, nicknamed  _ The Impersonator. _ The Impersonator is a particularly dangerous ghoul because of her ability to shapeshift. She was last known to be in contact with the League of Ghouls, the ghoul organization that formerly operated under SSS-rated Sensei.”

_ Fuck. _

The room exploded with questions, but Nedzu easily quieted them down by striking his gong again.

“I understand that you have concerns, but please leave your questions until Yagi-san is finished with his piece,” the top-ranking investigator says with a mild warning glare. He steps aside, unclipping the microphone from his jacket and handing it over to the blond man. “If you will, Yagi-san.”

Yagi adjusts the little speaker to his liking. “Hello, it’s good to see some of you again. I wish it could have been under better circumstances, but no matter, I am here for a far more important reason,” he begins, his brow heavily furrowed. “As Nedzu-san mentioned before, I was part of the team that conducted the League of Ghouls Extermination Raid five years ago. While we were successful in apprehending their leader, many of the organization’s ghouls managed to escape, including the one that was likely the cause of the tragic scene from last night. For that, I deeply apologize that I could not do more back then.

“However, before my retirement, I asked several of my cohorts to compile data on the physical characteristics of the ghouls that we did not capture that night. It is good that the file was safely stored in the archives, for I will be able to reveal them to you now.” Yagi steps to the side as an enormous TV screen lowers itself from the ceiling. Nedzu turns it on. A series of black and white pictures appear on the screen. When Nedzu opens the first one, multiple people gasp.

Whoever sketched these deserves high praise indeed.

Because the face on the screen looks absolutely  _ demonic. _

It’s a snarling black rabbit mask with two glowing eyes peering out from the holes, six bone-like rinkaku appendages writhing around the ghoul.

Yagi speaks again, looking grim, “Of all the ghouls that escaped the raid five years ago, this one is the most dangerous. Though we have seen neither hide nor hair of him in the past five years, do  _ not _ let your guard down. He is Sensei's biological son, the SS-rated ghoul  _ Black Rabbit. _ I strongly suggest not engaging with this ghoul unless you are a First Class Investigator or above. If you are not and you find yourself face to face with this ghoul,  _ run. _ If that is not possible, do everything in your power to stall him until a First Class is able to get there. Please remember that all of your lives are important, and chasing a ghoul above your pay grade for the promise of glory is not worth the price of dying a painful death.”

Everyone in the room is holding their breaths, hanging onto their seats with the man’s every word. Despite lacking the muscle mass from his active years, Yagi’s words still hold power and conviction, enough to keep an entire room of people spellbound.

Nedzu moves on to the next picture, which is easily as intimidating as the first one except that the ghoul depicted looks far more unhinged. This ghoul isn’t wearing a mask, so her bloodthirsty grin is on full display, making several investigators shudder. Yagi gives a tired sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose, “This is the ghoul known as the Impersonator. Yes, I know she looks young, but make no mistake, she is a deadly and violent killer who must be brought to justice. She is currently an S-rated ghoul, so please be careful if you do encounter her.”

On and on the meeting goes, cycling through all of the pictures and having Yagi give a brief introduction on each ghoul that is revealed (Kurogiri, Lizard, Cyclops, Shadow—all ghouls A-rated or higher).

However, it is the last picture that gives Yagi the most pause. He has an uncharacteristically solemn expression on his face when he turns around to look at the sketch. Shouta leans forward just a tad more to squint at the screen, but nothing in particular stands out to him. Just a young man with stringy hair, a hoodie, and a strange, hand-shaped mask secured over his face.

“Yagi-san, this is the last one,” Nedzu prods, jolting the politician back to his senses. The tall blonde clears his throat and whips back around to face the crowd of investigators again.

“Yes, my apologies, I was just lost in thought,” Yagi says. “This person was not involved in the raid five years ago, but I believe that he is now the current de-facto leader of the League of Ghouls due to certain… circumstances. He goes by Shigaraki now, but many years ago, I knew him as a boy named Shimura Tenko. And yes—” the man lifts his eyes and seems to make contact with every shell-shocked CCG agent sitting in the room, “—that means that he is a human.”

A  _ human _ leading an organization of creatures that  _ eat _ humans? That’s ridiculous!

But… not  _ impossible. _

An old quote comes unbidden to his mind: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

It should be impossible. Should, being the key term. But once in a while, a case will pop up where a ghoul keeps humans as entertainment rather than eating them. Or one where a ghoul raises a human child because they are fond of said child. So for a human to pop up being in charge of a group of man-eating ghouls, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility. Just statistically unlikely.

Shouta stares up at the picture on the screen. What makes this person different?

The sketch offers no answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment before you go~


End file.
